Things People Say

The Report calls BS on some of the latest headlines floating out of D.C., the team formerly known as Discovery and a disgraced Michael Vick.

There are two interesting and opposite forces at work in media today. One of them is the propensity of people to say things that are total bald-faced lies and somehow not get called on them – at least, not by the media. The second is that the rise of more democratic media, mostly web-based like video sharing and blogs, has given virtually anyone the opportunity and platform to call BS on such shenanigans. Basically, we’re all a quick YouTube video clip away from our own Macaca Moment – not just in politics, but sports as well.

Here’s a look around the world of cycling in the last couple of weeks and some things that were said that, really, shouldn’t have been, plus a bonus non-cycling item on the same theme.

Those Wasteful Bike Paths

Look, your “cycling” may be a personal virtue, but it does not a sound transportation policy make. At least, that’s the view of Mary Peters. And you should care ‘cause Peters is the Secretary of the federal Department of Transportation. Speaking to PBS NewsHour reporter Gwen Ifill, Peters responded to a question about raising the gasoline tax to pay for infrastructure maintenance by saying that it wasn’t an option because Congress already wastes the money it gets. Peters cited bike paths as a primary example because they’re not “transportation-related.”

Why’d Peters single out the two-wheelers? Oh, maybe because the push for a gas tax increase is headed in part by Minnesota representative Jim Oberstar, whose Minneapolis district had that federally funded highway bridge collapse. Oberstar is also a major bike advocate on Capitol Hill. Thus, in the neanderthal politics of the Beltway, if one of Oberstar’s policies is flawed, they all are!

What Peters didn’t say was that many bike paths funded by the Transportation Equity Act are transit-related, and that the total budget for bike paths from TEA funds is less than one percent of the entire TEA tax haul. Apparently a lot has changed since Peters – then Federal Highway Administrator – told the 2002 National Bike Summit that “bicyclists are an integral part of the nation’s transportation system and we all need to work together to develop a more balanced transportation system that provides facilities and programs for bicyclists on a routine basis.”

Whether Ms. Peters came to her new position on her own or was led there by, oh, Karl Rove, it seems that her definition of “integral” and “balanced” in transportation means “non-existent.” Fortunately, you can tell Ms. Peters what you think of her priorities. Remember before you hit the send button that we still live in a civil society. So be nice, even when the other side’s not.

(UPDATE: Right-o, commenters; Oberstar does not represent Minneapolis proper - District 8 is northern Minnesota, including Duluth and International Falls, but certainly not Minneapolis. He is the chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which makes him quite a bit MORE powerful, in fact, on transit issues than if Minneapolis was his home district. Thanks for the catch.)

They Have Different Rights in Kazakhstan

So, accused blood doper Alexandre Vinokourov is apparently taking PR lessons from Michael Rasmussen. “In cycling no one respects human rights,” Vinokourov said of the whereabouts reporting system. “You have to say three months in advance where you are planning to be, at what hour and minute. It’s not possible.” He added that his teammate Andrey Kashechkin, who also tested positive for blood doping, had been similarly mistreated. “He went on holiday and they came there at 11 p.m. I think it’s a clear violation of human rights.”

Really, Alex? A human rights violation? You mean, like Abu Ghraib or police brutality or that kind of thing? I mean, I like not to be disturbed when I’m vacationing on the Black Sea myself, but considering not even Astana manager Marc Biver knew where Kash was, maybe anti-doping officials were only able to make the evening flight to Belek. And, isn’t it an awfully interesting coincidence that in three years of testing for blood doping, the only people ever caught were two pairs of teammates, and just weeks apart?

Discovery Falls on the Sword

Although Lance Armstrong said Tailwind Sports had a sponsor “90 percent” lined up, the organization threw in the towel and will end its cycling team. “We couldn’t in good conscience ask someone to spend the sort of money that it would require to sponsor the team in the current situation,” said Bill Stapleton, general manager for Tailwind. “It’s not an environment conducive, in our opinion, to make an investment.”

To hear the Disco boys tell it, despite having what Armstrong called “a firm commitment for three years,” they just couldn’t let some poor defenseless multinational corporation capable of sneezing $45 million checks become unwittingly maligned by cycling’s unsavory rep.

Really? Do you think that company – whomever it was – didn’t know what was up by now? Do you think that T-Mobile doesn’t know what’s up when it decided that it was a crucial time for the sport and it would step up to help try and change the culture in cycling? I mean, it’s awfully nice of Tailwind to make that call, but I’d argue that the sponsor - either way the decision went – is probably capable of making it on its own.

You don’t suppose they never had a sponsor to begin with, do you? That Johan Bruyneel’s “snap” decision to retire was an effect, not a cause, of the decision? That Armstrong’s point that “No. 1, this isn’t about a lack of a sponsor,” is your first clue that it’s exactly that? No, couldn’t be.

To believe the Disco rationale, we have to take, on faith, that the team that has dominated the Tour de France for the last decade and, after one very off year, was right back at it again, walked away from a sure sponsorship package, at the end of the season, for no other reason than that in the 10 days after Alberto Contador won the Tour, the management had a profound change of heart and decided the cycling climate had changed so much in that time that it would be unethical to cash a check for $45 million.

You know, I’m sure the riders and the staff see it exactly the same way. I mean, you don’t think that Fumiyuki Beppu will have any trouble getting a ProTour ride now, will he?

You're Sorry for What, Again?

Last but not least, Michael Vick accepted a plea deal on Monday to federal charges related to dogfighting. Terms of the plea haven’t yet been released, but Vick’s lawyer did issue a statement from the quarterback saying Vick accepted full responsibility for his actions and apologized to anyone he’d hurt.

This, of course, is the same Vick who said last month he looked forward to clearing his name and told both the NFL and the Atlanta Falcons that he was not involved. So why the change of heart? It couldn’t possibly be that the other three defendants in the case had already plea-bargained and agreed to testify against Vick. Or that two of them told prosecutors that Vick directly participated in killing some dogs who hadn’t fought well, which would put Vick at risk of more than just a single count of conspiracy. Or that federal prosecutors had convened a second grand jury and were looking at issuing superceding indictments within a week that could have led to even more jail time.

No, Vick will have to do a little bit more than issue a canned statement through his attorney expressing the usual requisite contrition, a statement so obviously coerced by the situation that it means, literally, nothing. I think Vick’s true feelings are probably closer to “I’m sorry I got caught.”

Prosecutors are expected to ask for a 12-18 month prison sentence, which means Vick could theoretically return to professional football in 2009, although he will likely be PR kryptonite for any team that chooses to sign him. The maximum sentence for the single felony count so far levied against Vick would have been five years. Incidentally, disgraced former NBA ref Tim Donaghy faces a sentence of up to 25 years for betting on NBA games and giving gamblers inside information. Interesting set of priorities here that gambling on sports (hell, even throwing games outright, although at this point there's no evidence Donaghy fixed any games) is more of a crime than running an interstate dogfighting ring and killing animals. Maybe the feds should have focused on the ringside betting instead.

About Boulder Report

Boulder, Colorado-based contributor Joe Lindsey offers investigative journalism, analysis and humor about cycling. A popular slogan in this cycling and university town is "Keep Boulder Weird." Lindsey's certainly doing his part.